Kuala Lumpur, 25 June 2024 – Clean energy
solutions provider Gentari Sdn Bhd (Gentari), a subsidiary of
Malaysia’s PETRONAS Group, is collaborating with leading EV
charging business solution provider Virta through its subsidiary
Gentari Green Mobility to expand the EV charging network across
Southeast Asia.
Leveraging Virta's digital
platform services, technology and industry expertise with
Gentari’s deployment and operation of EV charging
infrastructure, the partners will also work with third-party
entities to enable EV charging interoperability in the region.
In
line with its long-term aim to become Asia Pacific’s
leading green mobility solutions partner, Gentari is deploying
technologically advanced EV charging services across the region
through its clean energy platform, Gentari Go. Launched in
Malaysia in February 2024, Gentari Go also offers customers access
to chargers in Thailand and Singapore, strengthening
Gentari’s market-leading position in high-powered direct
current (DC) charging. More than 2,400 charging points across the
three countries are already available, with a target to onboard
another 2,000 charging points on the Gentari Go network by the end
of 2024.
"This partnership has vast potential to capture the momentum
of the energy transition in Southeast Asia. Gentari Green Mobility
has grown from its inception into a leading market player in
e-mobility in only a year and a half, and we are happy to further
catalyse growth with our market-proven, end-to-end global EV
charging services and experience, including in Singapore, Thailand
and Australia. Our customers and partners will benefit from our
ecosystemic approach in enabling faster EV penetration across the
whole region - 'Powered by Virta',” says Virta
co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer Elias
Pöyry.
"I am confident that Gentari is
well-positioned to be a market leader in Southeast Asia. We
already have a large footprint in the region and a deep
understanding of local business needs and consumer expectations.
Recognising the value of teaming up with a partner that brings
global standards and industry experience, we see this
collaboration as crucial in executing our plans with speed and
scale," adds Shah Yang Razalli, Deputy Chief Executive
Officer of Gentari and Chief Executive Officer of Gentari Green
Mobility.
Virta, the leading European EV charging
platform, brings its 10-year track record in EV charging services
to the partnership, having enabled over 1,000 charging networks to
manage their charging business on Virta’s platform in 36
countries, including the most mature EV markets in Europe. Virta
has also established itself in Southeast Asia since 2022.
There
is an increasing need for robust charging infrastructure as
Southeast Asia and Oceania pick up pace in EV penetration; several
countries in the region are already showing double-digit EV share
in new car sales. It is expected that the market in the region
will develop much faster than the US and EU to date, as there is a
wide selection of EVs already available due to local and Chinese
EV makers entering the market with affordable models to meet
demand.